Are you referring to buying the VT pepperoni locally in MA? If so, can you share the stores where it's available? I'll in MA next week, and if it's available in any stores, I might pick some up.

They sell it at Roche Brothers. Mine is in Natick, Ma. I would contact the company and see what other retailers carry it, maybe there is one close to where you are traveling. It is worth going out of your way for.

The two have different serving sizes, but when I scaled the nutrition facts to equal serving sizes, the food service pepperoni is about 6.7% lower in calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, etc. They're clearly different formulations, but I don't have any clue about the taste differences. Does anyone have any insight?

I worked at Hormel for a couple years. It's been a while, but my recollection is that those two products you mentioned (assuming you are looking at the retail pillow pack) were virtually identical. I think the 30g serving size might be an error. That would be a strange serving size. I'd be surprised if you could tell a difference. If there are differences, I would suspect they have to do with keeping the color bright in the retail packages - though it does look like the FS product has more sodium. Note though that both of these are "pork, beef," in the ingredient statement.

The more popular foodservice products were listed "pork and beef," in the ingredient statement such as 32048 or 45128. I don't know if they are identical, but the retail wallet pack pepperoni (with the two inner packs of shingled pepperoni slices) is also listed "pork and beef" in the ingredients and the nutritional statement is the same as 32048 and 45128.

I don't know that I've ever tried the retail pillow pack and the wallet pack side by side. My guess is the wallet pack is better.

Craig

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"We make great pizza, with sourdough when we can, commercial yeast when we must, but always great pizza."Craig's Neapolitan Garage

The air impingement ovens used by many of the big box pizza stores deliver a lot of intense heat to the top of the pizza and really create an almost toasted pepperoni characteristic which goes a long ways toward intensifying the flavor. We have made pizzas for customers where the pepperoni was so toasted that it was getting crispy , like a piece of bacon (admittedly, a little more than I personally like) and the flavor was sharper than with a lesser baked pepperoni.Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

Thank you so much for the detailed response! Interesting that you think the 30 g serving size may be an error, the 3 pound packages at the store had the same label, so if it is an error, it's not just on the website, but on the actual product as well.

That's very interesting about the pork, beef vs. pork and beef distinction. I don't see any products on the retail page that list pork and beef as the first ingredient, am I missing it? I have been using the pillow package, and that's the only Hormel pepperoni I've tried.

Tom, thank you for confirming that speculation. Is there anything one can do with a home oven to get closer to that? Obviously they're entirely different beasts, but would rack position or broiling help? Or would that result in an entirely different outcome?

Thank you so much for the detailed response! Interesting that you think the 30 g serving size may be an error, the 3 pound packages at the store had the same label, so if it is an error, it's not just on the website, but on the actual product as well.

That's very interesting about the pork, beef vs. pork and beef distinction. I don't see any products on the retail page that list pork and beef as the first ingredient, am I missing it? I have been using the pillow package, and that's the only Hormel pepperoni I've tried.

If it's on the package too, it's probably not an error, but you can't rule it out. I discovered an error on nutritional statement of a retail dough ball a couple months ago. The manufacturer acknowledged it was an error.

As for a Hormel retail "pork and beef" product, check the wallet pack, it's the cardboard box with two plastic inner packages with about 25 slices of pepperoni shingled in each. If your store stocks it, it's probably right next to the pillow packs, but not always.

CL

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"We make great pizza, with sourdough when we can, commercial yeast when we must, but always great pizza."Craig's Neapolitan Garage

It sounds like you are after a pretty strong or spicy flavor from your pepperoni. If you are willing to try something mild but very pleasant I use "Mama Mary's" pepperoni which I find at my local Wal-Mart. It is kept near the pizza shells and jarred pizza sauce, nowhere near the other pepperoni in the store.

Are you referring to buying the VT pepperoni locally in MA? If so, can you share the stores where it's available? I'll in MA next week, and if it's available in any stores, I might pick some up.

I was in Whole Foods in West Hartford, CT yesterday and saw the Vermont Smoke and Cure snack sticks and summer sausage so it's very possible they carry the pepperoni also. You might want to check Whole Foods if there is one where you are staying in MA

I think I've seen Bridgford sticks locally, but am hesitant to try them due to a mediocre taste test review by Cook's Illustrated and the fact that I hate slicing pepperoni. Are there any Bridgford proponents here? Is it worth it?

Bridgford 16oz sticks are very good, easy to acquire, and affordable, but they are also very greasy and labor intensive. I've used Bridgford exclusively for several years now, mostly because it tastes good but partly because I don't want to buy a case of something else, not knowing if I'll even like it.

I actually did buy a case of Ezzo several years ago (25 lbs), for about $70 if I remember correctly. (I'm sure the price has gone up considerably by now.) I probably only used about half of the pepperoni because I didn't think it was as good as the hype, but I still think it was a much better deal than paying $40 or $50 for five pizzas' worth of pepperoni. As I know now (thanks to the dumpster diving method of research), there is at least one specific brand of pepperoni that I would gladly buy by the case, which I may do if I start making more pizzas than I have been making.

If my only reasonable alternative to buying a case was to buy 21oz of the best pepperoni in the universe at $40 or $50, I would definitely buy the case. That's not a tough call, either, even considering the raves of respected pizza freaks in earlier posts. But first I would take the time to make sure I'm absolutely sure I like what's in the case.

Disclaimer: Don't necessarily believe anything I say here. My brain ain't quite right anymore (unless it is). If I come off as rude or argumentative, that's probably not my intention. Rather, that's just me being honest, to myself and everyone else; partly because I don't have enough time left to BS either you or myself. If you are offended by anything I say, it's probably because you think lying to people (to be "polite") is a good idea. I don't.

I think I've seen Bridgford sticks locally, but am hesitant to try them due to a mediocre taste test review by Cook's Illustrated and the fact that I hate slicing pepperoni. Are there any Bridgford proponents here? Is it worth it?

Cook's Illustrated reviewed the prepackaged slices, Ryan, not the sticks...

Cook's Illustrated reviewed the prepackaged slices, Ryan, not the sticks...

The Bridgford stick pepperoni, if you're not too darn lazy to slice it yourself, is actually quite good.

Oh, OK. That makes sense.

In case anyone doesn't know, the Bridgford sliced pepperoni is nothing like their stick pepperoni. I would not buy the sliced packet. Also, the smaller Bridgford stick (7 oz?) is not the same as the 16 oz stick. The 16 oz stick is much better (my opinion, of course).

Disclaimer: Don't necessarily believe anything I say here. My brain ain't quite right anymore (unless it is). If I come off as rude or argumentative, that's probably not my intention. Rather, that's just me being honest, to myself and everyone else; partly because I don't have enough time left to BS either you or myself. If you are offended by anything I say, it's probably because you think lying to people (to be "polite") is a good idea. I don't.

It looks like the drought is having an effect on prices. The other day, while I was at my local supermarket, I saw the 7-ounce package of Hormel pepperoni slices selling at $3.49. That is half the price of the Vermont Smoked Pepperoni. If I were able to buy the Vermont Smoked Pepperoni without having to pay shipping charges, I would gladly pay double the price of the Hormel pack.

I have my local Whole Foods checking with their distributor to see if Vermont Smoke & Cure smoked pepperoni is available on the West Coast. I would think that if it makes it to Texas, then CA is not that much further. I'll post back here once I have an update.

I tried the Molinari pepperoni tonight, and it was pretty tasty. It cupped beautifully (I think it was the collagen casing that did it), but it didn't really brown much around the rim which would be my only complaint. Not as good as Vermont by a long shot, but it will do in a pinch for sure.

I actually did buy a case of Ezzo several years ago (25 lbs), for about $70 if I remember correctly. (I'm sure the price has gone up considerably by now.) I probably only used about half of the pepperoni because I didn't think it was as good as the hype, but I still think it was a much better deal than paying $40 or $50 for five pizzas' worth of pepperoni. As I know now (thanks to the dumpster diving method of research), there is at least one specific brand of pepperoni that I would gladly buy by the case, which I may do if I start making more pizzas than I have been making.

Did you know that PennMac sells Ezzo that they repackage in 1-pound vacuum-sealed bags? http://www.pennmac.com/items/4288//pizza-baking-supplies I used to have a connection in Columbus that I got my Ezzo from but since he retired I have been forced to get it at PennMac. Unfortunately PennMac doesn't have Ezzo Supreme Special which is the best Ezzo IMO, but they do have GiAntonio which is still very good.

It's too bad you can't find a shop down there in Columbus that uses Ezzo that may sell you some. When I lived in Central Ohio (80's), there were tons of shops that used Ezzo.

I have tried several other brands of pepperoni but I always come back to Ezzo. I want to try this Vermont smoked stuff though

I actually ran out of Ezzo and for tonight's pies I went to the local supermarket for some pepperoni. They normally have Bridgford sticks but they were out. I have used Brigeford before and it's okay. Unfortunately, they were sold out of everything except Hormel slices, so I reluctantly bought them because my daughter won't eat pizza without pepperoni. Now I remember why I don't like Hormel. It is way too greasy. I had to wash my hands after dealing the pepperoni because they were loaded with grease, and this is before it was even baked. I've got no problem with some grease on the pie but these had puddles of grease, even though I used less than I normally do. I had to mop up some of the grease off the pizzas with a paper towel. I used less because most pepperoni has more grease than Ezzo, but this was way too much.

I can get ezzo from RDP food distributors here in columbus, but often find that it's too much for my needs. If we ohioans wanted to band together, we could get some ezzo. I don't know if they have the supreme special, but I got a 38mm pep that without the casings that was pretty good for pre-sliced pepperoni. It only comes in 25 lb cases, and is about $100, which I'm told works out to about a penny a slice. Lemme know if this is something anyone is interested in and we can work it out.